France is certainly famous for its numerous chateaux. Undoubtedly, this country is a real treasury of the most beautiful medieval and renaissance palaces and castles. Be it the famous Chateaux of the Loire Valley, of Brittany, the ones near Paris, or those in the south of France, their diversity and architectural beauty can’t leave indifferent.
This historical and cultural wealth is the main reason why nearly 90 million tourists (in 2018) yearly cross the borders of this country. As a guide, adventurer, and a simple human being, I adore exploring those unique sites and share the best of the best with you in my blog of ideatourparis after.
Last time we’ve discovered Chartres. This time we’ll go to Normandy region and explore le Château Gaillard in Les Andelys. I was so inspired and impressed by the story of the fortress, that I could not wait any longer to find out more about it. Are you ready to travel in time and space with me?
So, here is what I’ve got.
The appearance
At the end of the 12th century, France is in a war with the English. At that time, the king of England is in the possession of Normandy. His name is Richard Heart of Lion, nick named so for his bravery and military talent. His adult life the king spent in the southwest of France. That’s why, they say, he spoke only in French with his soldiers! It’s a fine mess, I must say for a legendary English king!
In the meanwhile, not less ambitious King of France, Philippe-Auguste, reinforces his troops to rejoin Normandy to the rest of France. It was at that time when Richard I decides to build a solid fortress to keep the toothsome slice of Normand cake to himself.
So, 6000 workers were engaged to build the indestructible building, called later the Château Gaillard. The construction of Château Gaillard only lasted a year.
But the fortress came out impressive, heavy, indestructible and esthetic enough.
The location in Andelys was chosen not by accident. It was placed on a 100-meter cliff, overlooking the valley of the Seine, in the area where the river narrowed and made a loop. In the plans of the English king was to leave only a small area of access to the castle. It was the plateau opposite the river, - a relatively narrow spit of land rising to the fortress that was easy to defend.
3 levels of fortifications
In the opposite to the plateau, an advanced triangular-shaped structure made the first defense. There were towers from which archers could shoot, and a ditch all around 12m deep as an extra obstacle. When the enemy was at the gates of the Bastille, he had a lot to do to pass the 5 meter wide wall. And even if he passed this first line of defense, he would find himself exposed in the castle's farmyard becoming an easy prey for the defenders.
This second level is particularly original from the architectural point of view. Instead of building smooth walls like in the medieval castles of that time, Richard Coeur-de-Lyon projected a scalloped exterior surface. Such an unusual form allowed large projectiles to roll on the structure rather than hitting it head-on.
There was a single door on one side of the enclosure. To reach it the attackers had to walk along a whole part of the wall, giving the defenders time to throw stones and hot oil on them.
The death of Coeur-de-Lyon and the fall of the fortress
Richard I decides to attack the castle of Châlus near Limoges. It was a fatal decision. During the battle, he was hit by an arrow that struck him in the shoulder. He died two weeks later.
His brother takes over the power and the lands. The king John is definitely less fearless than his elder brother. He decides to sign a treaty with Philippe-Auguste that made him the vassal of the King of France for all territories outside England. The cunny King of France knew thus that he would be able to recover the lands of the vassal if the latter didn’t respect the laws. So, it happened, very soon the king John was condemned for ther disobedience to the king and the sentence was applied. The French king will have a strong intention to reconquer the Norman lands. And so, he did.
The French army was strong at that time and the English troops were few. It took only a couple of days to take the advanced positions of Château Gaillard.
The defenders and the inhabitants of the borough took a refuge in the castle, hoping that the fortress was really impregnable and would protect them. They were wrong.
In the meanwhile, the French troops surround the castle
Governor Roger de Lacy was in charge of the castle at that time. He understands that there was enough food to withstand a year of siege, but he cannot keep all of the inhabitants of the village inside. So, they were obliged to leave the fortress. The French soldiers will allow about 1000 people to flee, which did’t please Philippe-Auguste. So, the folowing group of fugitives was immediately slaughtered. The rest was left to sink or swim, stuck between two enemies.
They will eventually die of hunger and cold. To me, it was the most shoking part of the story.
Attack on the Bastion
After 7 months, Philippe-Auguste loses his patience and starts to act. With the help of the constructed covered causeway the French get an access to the first ditch staying almost untouched. Having reached the foot of the first enclosure the soldiers start to use fire to gradually crack the overheated stones. When that part of the wall collapses, the defenders were forced to find a refuge behind the first enclosure.
There were rumors that the French have discovered a small window a few meters high that served as a latrine and wasn’t protected. The other sources say that the French entered through the chapel which was poorly protected, but that the men of the King of France invented the history of the latrines so as not to admit that they had desecrated a holy place. Anyway, the Normans use the fire to stop their enemies, but due to bad luck, the wind pushes the smoke towards themselves. The latter must flee towards the second enclosure.
The second enclosure also falls
The same day, Philippe-Auguste decides to take the second rampart using his catapults. The English soldiers no longer have time to run for shelter in the dungeon. Soon after the interior courtyard was taken, and Roger de Lacy and 129 of his knights eventually surrendered.
Eventually, the King of France Philippe Auguste recovers all the lands controlled by the English, which extended to the south, in the Pyrenees. In 1204, Normandy was again French.
The Château Gaillard will be repaired, then it will see other battles, especially during the Hundred Years War. It will pass on several occasions from the French to the English, and vice versa.
Today, Château Gaillard is a symbol of a bygone era with a special aura surrounding it. Many tourists visit it every year, both for its old stones and for its great flora. Plants brought from Palestine by the Crusaders of Richard Heart of the Lion still grow and become very well acclimatized.
Here is some practical information. The entrance fee to the castle is € 3.50 for adults, € 3 for children, students, big families, over 60s, and people with disabilities. The castle is free for children under 7 years old. You can reserve a guided tour as well, which gives another meaning, and more profound knowledge about the site.
More than 800 years later, Château Gaillard tells us a part of the past, reach in events and tragedies of the common Franco-English History. The medieval castle, even today very tired and aged, gives an impression of the past power, solidity, and invincibility. And the evidence to us, its visitors, that nothing stays impregnable and even fortresses like that can have a relatively short, though remarkable life.
